Protect your children from cyber predators, counsellor in UAE says

[email protected] (Gulf News)
June 18, 2012
Protect_your_children

Abu Dhabi, June 18: A counsellor was shocked to hear from a teenager that he had sold his sister’s nude video on internet to make money.


The expatriate family in the UAE took him to the counsellor when he was found bunking the classes and exams of his professional course back home.


“They thought he might be addicted to drugs but it was something else. He was lured by pornography mafia on the internet, which offer money in lieu of providing pornography contents,” said Mohammad Mustafa, an Information Technology professional.


Mustafa, an Indian resident in Abu Dhabi, has established a Non-Governmental Organisation namely Developing Internet Safe Community (DISC) Foundation in India to raise awareness about internet safety. The foundation is planning to expand its awareness activities in the UAE and other Gulf states also soon.

Mustafa was sharing an experience of a counsellor associated with his organisation. He said the boy placed a secret video camera in the sisters’ bedroom and sold the video to the mafia which offered him attractive remuneration, Mustafa said.


“Luckily that video did not spread on internet and the family never came to know about it; otherwise they would have committed suicide. It still remains a secret between the boy and the counsellor,” he explained.

The guy came back to normal life after long counselling sessions, he said.


Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry which seeks fresh pictures and videos in lieu of money, he said. Worldwide pornography revenue in 2006 was $97.06 billion (Dh 356.21 billion) which was expected to be doubled in 2011.


“They lure youngsters online into the trade to gather unique or fresh content,” Mustafa said. The deceived youngsters may create contents from their own home, when they are unable to find it outside, he explained.


The surveys in the US have indicated that 90 per cent of children age 8-16 have viewed pornography online (many while doing homework).


Adults as well as children receive unsolicited email attempting to redirect them to a pornographic site.


“A hacker can easily control your webcam to take pictures or videos at your home and place software in your computer to steal photos or videos, if you don’t protect them properly,” Mustafa said.


Apart from the problem of falling victims to pornography mafia, his organisation plans to conduct awareness classes and presentations for parents and children about the various threats in cyber world such as cyber sex addiction, cyber bullying, online harassment or cyber stalking, identity theft, cyber-relationship addiction, violent and hateful contents, online gambling addiction etc.


To avoid such problems, the foundation wants to propagate the practical tips among people. It wants to help to teach internet etiquette, technically secure the computer, monitor children’s online activities, data mine with popular search engines etc.


Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
June 5,2020

Jun 5: The fear of contracting COVID-19 infection allegedly forced a 65-year-old man to commit suicide in Maharashtra's Beed district, police said on Friday.

The incident occurred at Mangewadi in Patoda on Thursday, when a passerby found the body of Asaram Pote hanging from a tree in his farm, an official said.

The police were immediately alerted and Pote's body was brought down in the presence of his relatives and locals, he said.

A suicide note was found on the deceased's person, in which he said that he had taken the extreme step as he was scared of contracting COVID-19 infection and no one should be held responsible for his death, the official said.

A case of accidental death was registered in this regard and further probe was underway, he added.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
May 26,2020

New Delhi, May 26: A massive fire broke out on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday in the slums of the Tughlaqabad area in south east Delhi in which over 250 shanties were gutted, however, no one was injured, fire officials said.

Atul Garg, Chief Fire Officer, told IANS, "We came to know about the fire in the slums around 12.15 a.m. following which 28 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. And the fire was brought under control by 4 a.m."

He said, the Tughalaqbad slums have over 500 shanties, out of which over 250 have been destroyed in the fire.

He said, it took time for the fire tenders to reach the spot as it was on the hills, but the fire was doused within four hours and by 8 a.m. cooling off procedure has also been completed.

When asked if there is any casualty in the incident, he said, "No injury or casualty has been reported."

He also said that as of now the actual reason for the fire is not known. "But we are trying to find out the reason of the fire," Garg added.

South East Deputy Commissioner of Police R.P. Meena said, "In the night it seemed that almost 500 shanties were gutted. However, in the morning it became clear that only 250 shanties have been gutted in fire."

He said, the South East district police after receiving the call also rushed the ambulances and the local police team in the area for rescue operation. Meena further said that very few people were residing in the shanties, and the people came out of their shanties after the fire broke out in one of them.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
June 5,2020

Jun 5: A young woman was forced to drink liquor allegedly by her husband after which he along with four friends assaulted, burnt her with cigarette butts and raped her in front of her five year-old son, police said on Friday.

All the five, who were taken into custody earlier, have been arrested. The shocking incident occurred in the state capital last night.

The incident came to light after the 25-year-old woman, approached police and complained against her husband and his four friends.

A case has been registered against the five accused for kidnapping, assaulting and gangrape.

Since the incident took place in front of the child, a case under Protection of children from sexual offices Act has also been charged against the accused.

Meanwhile, State health and family welfare minister K K Shailaja asked the state police chief to take stringentction against the culprits as "such cruelty happened in front of her child."

The Kerala State Women's Commission on its own registered a case and sought report from the Thiruvananthapuram Rural SP.

She managed to escape from there and pleaded for help from a young man, who saw in heran inebriatedstate, and took her to her house and informed police.

The man later told some television channels that she was crying, had injuries on her face and pleaded for help.

Police have recorded the statement of the woman, who was admitted to a government hospital here and later discharged.

She had also stated that the men had tortured her using cigarette butts.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.